There is a well known member here who left the forum for that very reason. And then when he would offer the advice he was solicited for, members would come into the thread and tell the OP why the requested advice was wrong. He stopped coming here for that very reason.

No announcement, no fan fare, just stopped.

Thanks for posting this Arc.

___________________________All it takes...is all you got.____________________________For those who have fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know

If you have no direct knowledge or experience with the topic, let people who actually have first hand experience answer.

I've at least a couple times formulated an answer in response to such requests and realized "I don't know any more than the member asking" and dumped it--for that very reason.

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe"Whenever somebody uses 'liberal,' when what they really mean is 'leftist,' they immediately lose my attention." -- Me

Just to add...when someone has a problem or asks for help/advice why are some members compelled to post something that they think is clever but has absolutely nothing to do with the OP's question/problem?

Example being the well worn "that'll buff right out." Really, all it does is trivialize the OP's request and make the member look a bit stupid as well.

Originally posted by RogB:Just to add...when someone has a problem or asks for help/advice why are some members compelled to post something that they think is clever but has absolutely nothing to do with the OP's question/problem?

Example being the well worn "that'll buff right out." Really, all it does is trivialize the OP's request and make the member look a bit stupid as well.

Unless the OP is asking about how to cure his Wife's Mother's Dog of cancerous AIDS, I'd say that such comments are harmless attempts at humor, they can be tolerated. The gravity of a question should indicate whether humor is in order.

I generally don't answer these threads anymore, even when it is something that I am a national level expert in. There are just enough posters who are that unique blend of anti-intellectual/know-it-all to make it not worth the grief and challenge back that inevitably comes from one of a few members.

I'm sorry that this means I don't help in as many situations as I might, but if it is something critically important and the OP has an email I'll get in touch out of the forum sometimes...

_________________________NRA Endowment Member_________________________"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." -- C.S. Lewis

Originally posted by ChuckFinley:I generally don't answer these threads anymore, even when it is something that I am a national level expert in. There are just enough posters who are that unique blend of anti-intellectual/know-it-all to make it not worth the grief and challenge back that inevitably comes from one of a few members.

I'm sorry that this means I don't help in as many situations as I might, but if it is something critically important and the OP has an email I'll get in touch out of the forum sometimes...

Having to wade through that sort of thing, is part of what I'd like to cut down on. All in the interest of such threads actually being of use to the OP, and the rest of us.

Originally posted by ChuckFinley:I generally don't answer these threads anymore, even when it is something that I am a national level expert in. There are just enough posters who are that unique blend of anti-intellectual/know-it-all to make it not worth the grief and challenge back that inevitably comes from one of a few members.

*shrug* I get that. We all do. I don't let it stop me from trying to help. The one or two that have been egregious in this respect I've simply put on "ignore."

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe"Whenever somebody uses 'liberal,' when what they really mean is 'leftist,' they immediately lose my attention." -- Me

I agree. As someone who is ignorant on more topics than knowledgeable, I go through help threads to learn what to do, not just someone’s wild ass guess that they don’t bother disclosing is a wild ass guess.

I understand expert opinions may differ but swags (Scientific Wild Ass Guesses) should be avoided as there are a good number of real experts in Sigforum on any number of topics.

"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.

Originally posted by Ronin1069:There is a well known member here who left the forum for that very reason. And then when he would offer the advice he was solicited for, members would come into the thread and tell the OP why the requested advice was wrong. He stopped coming here for that very reason.

No announcement, no fan fare, just stopped.

Appliance Brad was extremely generous with his help. I know I benefited from him via emails which I very much appreciated. He hasn't been active since last November which I personally consider a huge loss for this forum.

Arc thanks for starting this thread. Folks need to understand the consequences of their actions.

Originally posted by Ronin1069:There is a well known member here who left the forum for that very reason. And then when he would offer the advice he was solicited for, members would come into the thread and tell the OP why the requested advice was wrong. He stopped coming here for that very reason.

We don't know that, but I think it very likely. I'd get annoyed too.

I am personally happy to respond to "paging egregore" posts and private e-mail communications, but remember who's doing who the favor. It is not to be taken for granted or overused/abused. (No one has, and the exchanges I have had have always been positive.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore, April 10, 2018 12:14 PM

Originally posted by Ronin1069:There is a well known member here who left the forum for that very reason. And then when he would offer the advice he was solicited for, members would come into the thread and tell the OP why the requested advice was wrong. He stopped coming here for that very reason.

No announcement, no fan fare, just stopped.

What in the world are you talking about? Who are you talking about? Be specific. Name, please.